On ike Geological History of Loch Lomovd. 327 



-legitimately sounded, will hardly admit them * ; and, therefore, 

 in the previous example, if the word ^'Ja'mted" which Handel 

 has adopted for the slide, be chosen ; the first syllable, as being 

 long and emphatic, should claim, no doubt, the prerogative. 



To conclude : In speaking this passage, if my judgement be 

 correct, the ha in barbarian is nevertheless the only syllable, 

 within the quoted portion, susceptible of a slide, and thai too an 

 vpward one ; wiiich gives the speaker, on all such occasions, a 

 suitable command ; — whereas the very reverse must hap])e!i 

 whenever the downward ^\\<1q is attempted : from wliich I would 

 naturally infer, that if, for expression's sake, the downward 

 .slide be effected on "faintly" the voice of the speaker will be 

 dangerouslv precipitated, and the succeeding syllable '^ ed" be 

 rendered very nearly, if not wholly, inaudible. 



Such are the fatal effects of sinking through the scale, during 

 the enunciation of any syllable : and therefore the resistance of 

 this practice, or judicious susteniatum of the voice, cannot, in 

 my opinion, be too strongly recommended to the orator; for on 

 this sustentation, as the intelligent have uniformly observed, the 

 majesty of every language must depend. 

 [To be continued.] 



LVII. On the Geological History of Loch Lomond. By 

 Gavin Inglis, Esq. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Dear Sir, — 1 rhmember mentioning to you long ago, a cu- 

 rious coincidence in the names of places upon the rivers Leven 

 in Fife, and Leven in Dumbartonshire. In both counties their 

 names are derived from the Gaelic, and descriptive, of their local 

 appearance and situation : but however the rivers and lakes may 

 coincide in name and other circumstances, in their present and 

 former geological position there is a prominent change. 



The lake in Dumbartons,bire is now elevated twenty-two feet 

 above its ancient level, which is an exception to the general fact 

 — that lakes, by the impetuosity of their discharging streams, 

 in process of time wear down' their channels till they lower 

 themselves to the level of some opposing rock, or finally, to the 

 level of the sea, laying their forn)er beds dry, or leaving marshes 

 in their place. It appears perfectly evident, that the waves of 

 the Clyde have once beat against the bottom of Dunibuck, — that 

 the delightful road, after passing westward by Dunglass Castle, 

 along the base of the impending rocks, and the space between 



• From the veiy great difficulty of execution, as well as contemptible effect, 

 f In speech, a well sustained tlipi'mnendu is sufficiently expressive. 



X 4 that 



